OISIN Murphy is a huge talent. I first came across him when he was pony racing, the breeding ground of so many of our most accomplished jockeys, and he was earmarked even then by the cognoscenti as a young man going places.

He has been a revelation as a rider, taking the British scene by storm. Still only 21 years of age, he was tutored by the best before his move to Andrew Balding at the age of 17.

Starting with his uncle Jim Culloty, he was then with Tommy Stack and Aidan O’Brien before heading to England. On Thursday he won the eighth Group 2 of his burgeoning career on Blond Me, and those victories have come on seven different horses. The victory had another significance for me.

It came just two days after he won at Chepstow on a 3/1 favourite, a victory that brought a storm of protest in sections of the media and abuse on social platforms. For me it was a case of the actual result being ultimately more important than the manner in which it was gained.

Murphy’s mount was coasting to an emphatic win when the rider eased him down, and was fortunate to hold on by a fast-diminishing neck. It was a close run thing.

No one got a bigger fright I am sure than the young rider himself and he will have learned a valuable lesson. It hasn’t shaken his confidence and his winning rides later in the week are proof of this.

Punters didn’t lose their money, though it certainly didn’t stop them venting their anger.

Moreover, some notable racing writers were immediately calling for a form of punishment to be meted out to riders in such circumstances, ranging from a warning to bans being imposed.

True, had he lost the race he would have suffered a severe penalty, and rightly so. The fact is that he didn’t lose the race and he has suffered in a different way as a consequence. Surely that is enough of a punishment without having to hear calls for rule changes to legislate for such instances.

We are in danger of being overregulated and this can have unintended consequences at times. When a wrong has been committed we need to have a punishment that fits the crime.

Punishing what might have been is taking matters to extremes. In this instance Oisin Murphy is not guilty of any transgression, has suffered enough and the case should be closed.